Japan launched its lunar exploration spacecraft on Thursday aboard a homegrown H-IIA rocket.

At a beachfront park in Brisbane’s north, suspended Australian doctor William Bay told a gathering that an upcoming referendum to recognise the country’s first inhabitants.

Ukraine’s Eastern Rite Catholic bishops bluntly told Pope Francis at a meeting on Wednesday that some of his comments about Russia had caused great pain and were being used by Moscow to justify a “murderous ideology”.

At least three people died and four were missing on Wednesday after torrential rain flooded homes and businesses and destroyed infrastructure in central Greece, the fire brigade said.

A New York state judge on Wednesday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to delay a scheduled Oct. 2 trial in state Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud lawsuit accusing him, family members and his business of overvaluing assets by billions of dollars.

Moderna said clinical trial data showed its updated COVID-19 vaccine will likely be effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus that has raised fears of a resurgence of infections.

A Chinese Communist Party and government delegation headed by Vice Premier Liu Guozhong will visit North Korea to take part in the celebration of the country’s founding day later this week, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.

Hong Kong’s top court partially approved on Tuesday a landmark appeal by an LGBTQ activist for recognition of same-sex marriages, calling for new regulations for gay couples to protect their basic social needs.

Intense rain from the remnants of Typhoon Haikui lashed southeastern China early on Wednesday, causing flooding and forcing cities in Fujian province to halt subways, shut schools and evacuate residents.

More than five dozen activists have been charged with an illegal conspiracy to stop construction of an Atlanta police training center, derisively called “Cop City,” that has been the target of sometimes violent protests in recent months.

A former leader of the right-wing Proud Boys group, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the longest sentence so far in the case.

Tropical Storm Lee was forming east of the Lesser Antilles and was expected to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous hurricane by the weekend, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory late on Tuesday.